


An Eternity of Summer

by Billxbesitztxmeinxherz



Category: Tokio Hotel
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gore, M/M, Paranormal, Psychological Torture, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-03-15
Updated: 2012-03-15
Packaged: 2017-11-02 00:01:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/362761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Billxbesitztxmeinxherz/pseuds/Billxbesitztxmeinxherz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Bill Kaulitz and his family move to a small village in Germany, Bill can't help but feel that something is off. A series of murders occur within a short time of Bill's arrival and he quickly realizes that something is quite wrong...especially upon meeting the uncanny Tom Trumper. Bill finds himself trapped within an endless summer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. And so the Darkness began, can you believe in this?

**Author's Note:**

> [ ](http://photobucket.com)

**Arc One  
Death in the field**

_I turned around  
Who is that in front of me?  
You gouged your claws into the darkness and tore up the night  
The raindrops become droplets of blood and drop against my cheek  
Since you don’t have a place anywhere to return to anymore  
Stop these fingers, on mine  
I’ll take you along on each of those fingers  
To an untouched forest where the cicadas cry  
You cannot turn back anymore_

* * *

_August 1st, 2011_

It was the early spring of 2011 when Bill Kaulitz learned that his family was moving.

 

All of Bill's life, he had lived in Munich. Munich was all that Bill knew. Bill's friends were here, he went to middle school just down the street, and he played football on a club team. The tree in the Kaulitz's front yard marked where Bill had fallen and broken his arm. Bill liked to make fun of their elderly neighbor Mrs. Platz when she'd talk to her flowerbed in the morning. Bill knew Munich like the back of his hand.

 

What Bill did not know was the small town of Faust, population two thousand three hundred and four, out in the middle of nowhere. Bill's father, Gordon, had inherited a considerably large amount of land there and planned on capitalizing on it. Bill thought this whole moving business was ridiculous but alas could not stop the movers from loading up the truck at the end of the summer. Bill had stared back his childhood home and thought of all of the great memories it held.

 

"You'll like this new town, BB Boo." Mrs. Kaulitz had said.

 

"Simone," Bill frowned, sinking lower in the car's back seat, "I thought I told you to stop calling me that."

 

"And I thought I told you that I will not answer to anything but 'Mom' or 'Mommy'." Simone sent Bill a look through the rearview mirror. "You'll make friends quickly."

 

"Your mother is right dear." Gordon added in. Bill could not help but roll his eyes at the map that Gordon had put. What was the point of having a car with built-in GPS if you never used it?

 

"You know that you can just plug it in." Bill muttered, leaning forward to press the map view on.

 

"I can never figure this damn thing out." Gordon chuckled.

 

"Just takes practice is all." Simone reached out to hold her husband's hand and Bill sighed.

 

As they drove the familiar surroundings of the city, with it's skyscrapers and heavy traffic, gave way to the suburbs. Then the perfectly lined grass in the suburbs gave way to the countryside. And then the farms of the countryside gave way to the pathetic village that was Faust.

 

"Ten kilometers to go." Simone said cheerfully, reading a rusted sign that was mostly obscured by plants.

 

"I haven't seen another exit for miles," Gordon frowned, "I hope Faust has a grocery store and a gas station."

 

"The map said that there's a farmer market." Simone mumbled, taking the next turn off.

 

Bill watched incomplete silence as the Kaulitzs slowly made their way into town. Large fields that disappeared over the horizon seemed to dominate most of the town with a few log cabins scattered throughout. Livestock stared lazily at Bill through the car window and the boy coughed at the horrible smell.

 

"That, my son, is the smell of the country." Gordon laughed as Bill covered his nose with his hands.

 

"It smells like shit." Bill sent one of the cows a dirty look. Simone simply laughed.

 

"That's because it is, BB Boo."

* * *

Bill never had high expectations of what his new life would be like in the country, but he never could have imagined it was this bad. The town was entirely cut off from civilization. The nearest movie theater was six towns over and only had two screens, Bill hadn't even seen a single person when driving through town, and Bill hated his house.

 

Gordon hade inherited a run-down barn turned farmhouse on his mother's side of the family. It was a sad looking building with faded red paint and a dirty lace curtains hanging in the window. The lot stretched a great deal of land and Bill could not even see the neighboring houses. There was a crumbling chicken coop in the back that looked like an invitation for diseases and a dirty duck pond. Overall the place looked like it was put of some Sunday morning country home life show mixed with a haunted house. Bill had plopped down in the yellowed grass, dirt dry and chalky, as he watched his parents unpack the car.

 

"Bill, why don't you go look around the property?" Simone asked, "I bet there's some real fun things to do around here."

 

"Whatever." Bill sighed. The boy sets off and flipped open his cell phone in hopes of texting one of his friends back in the city. The little icon in the corner that normally displayed five bars read 'No Service'.

 

"What?" Bill frowned peering closer, "Are you fucking kidding me? I don't even get service out here?"

 

"Fucking great!" Bill screamed, shoving his phone in his pocket as he headed towards the duck pond. The entire place smelled like stagnant water and moldy hay and it made Bill's eyes water. He'd barely even been in this damn town for a day and he already hated it.

 

Bill moved without much ease as he navigated through the tall marsh grass. Occasionally he'd get his foot caught in the mud and this only served to piss Bill off more. What did people even do in this town for fun? Bill certainly hadn't seen anything interesting while on the drive in.

 

"Fucking tip cows is probably what they do." Bill scowled sourly, kicking at a frog that hopped out of the way. The mosquitoes were starting to go after Bill and the boy swatted uselessly at them.

 

This little charade continued on for a few minutes, as the insects seemed to fall into a pattern. Just as Bill was able to feel the prick of their bite, the mosquitoe would fly away before Bill could swat at it. In that time yet another one would land on Bill and bite him as well. Bill struggled uselessly, flashing designer cologne that served him well in the city made him a target out in the country. Finally Bill broke into a run, arms flailing, as he hoped to leave the flying pests behind.

 

Bill ran as far as his legs would carry him and regretted growing his out longer as his bangs repeatidly hit him in the eye. Finally when the Kaulitz farm house was no longer visible, Bill stopped to catch his breath. He'd finally rid himself of the mosquitoes and the boy sank to the ground in relief. The grass was uncomfortable and itchy but Bill had never run so fast in his life. Sports had never been his forte in middle school and there really weren’t any recreational fields in the city anyways.

 

Bill wasn't even sure if he was still on his family's land anymore but he was definitely in a giant field. The sun was starting to set in the sky and Bill thought it best that he return home before Simone and Gordon began to worry. Well, Simone would most likely panic as she always did when Bill would come home late, while Gordon tended to understand that these things happened on occasion.

 

"I don't even know which way is home." Bill sighed, standing up and looking around. Tall unkempt grass spanned as far as Bill could see until the boy's eyes fell on a dark form a short distance ahead.

 

Flies were buzzing around whatever had collapsed in the grass as a sense of curiosity overcame Bill. One really didn't see road kill in the city unless it was a pigeon or a rat. The boy crept closer; sure that whatever had collapsed was already dead. Whatever had died, it was big, big and smelly. Buzzards swarmed around the figure as Bill came to stand before it. Concern etched across Bill's face as he tried to make head or tail of the thing.

 

Bones painted with crusted blood protruded from the thing and reached towards the sky. The form was long and sprawled, far too thin to be a baby cow but not small enough to be a fox or wolf. Bill squinted and drew a bit closer, hands over his nose at the smell of rotting flesh. He was able to make out black tuffs of hair and skin, blackened and leathered, from the corpse rotting out in the sun. Bill titled his head a little, a small ember of horror building within him, as he got a better look at the thing.

 

"Oh my god." Bill gasped, jumping back with fright. "Oh my god."

 

Bony joints of the corpse held tight to the grass as the creature's mouth lay as an open cavern for fly larva. The black material that Bill had initially thought of as matted fur, distinguished itself as a shirt and pants. This was no dead livestock or forest predator that had gone hungry and died. Bill was staring at the remains of a human, skin burnt black from the sun and body slowly rotting away, lying in the grass.

 

"Holy shit." Bill hissed, heartbeat picking up rapidly. "Holy shit. Shit! Shit! Shit!"

 

Bill could not even bring himself to look at the corpse again as a wave of nausea hit him hard. Bill's knees buckled as he vomited sloppily in the grass. Fear and numb shock made Bill's tremble as he rose back to his feet and looked towards the way he had come. He knew that had to tell someone about this immediately. And yet at the same time, Bill could believe that this was actually happening. They'd barely been in Faust for an hour and Bill was now terrified of the place. How had this man died? Was he a homeless person that died of starvation? Was it an old man that had a heart attack?

 

Was this a murder?

 

Bill felt like he was going to vomit again when he set off in the direction of home. Long skinny legs carrying Bill as fast as he could run while fear and shock ran through his mind.

 

It turned that Faust was not quite as small and peaceful as Bill initially thought. Little did Bill Kaulitz know, but things in Faust were about to get a lot more interesting.

* * *

The excitement had quickly died away by Monday morning and Simone forced Bill to go to school.

 

Upon arriving home, it took some time before Gordon and Simone realized that their son wasn't trying to pull some prank. Bill had shown his parents the body in the field and Gordon had called the police. When the County Sheriff had arrived he acted like the body didn’t surprise him. The officer said that the police would be looking into the case and thanked the Kaulitzs for their time.

 

Simone had been furious and had a fight with Gordon when they both thought Bill was asleep. Instead the boy had sat at the top of the stairs and took everything in. Simone wanted to get out of this town while Gordon had been firm about staying. They'd sold their apartment in the city anyways and Gordon thought country living was healthier than the smog of the city.

 

Bill sighed and continued on his way towards the school. There was no public transportation here and Simone said that it wasn't that far of a walk. Besides, it gave Bill a chance to see the town. All of the houses were small little cottages with huge plots of land. It was a cute little village with flower gardens and stonewalls but what fascinated Bill the most were the trees. There were trees everywhere, with thick trunks from hundreds of years of growth lining the little dirt roads of Faust. In the city there were only a few scraggly trees along the shopping strip or in the park, but those were small and sickly.

 

As Bill continued to stroll, he could not help but notice that he'd barely seen anyone in the town. Surely the houses were inhabited due to their well-kept yards and house decorations. Finally when Bill passed a small white house with a picket fence, a girl about Bill's age emerged. Bill kept quiet at first as she fell behind a little bit and continued at her own pace. Bill hiked his backpack a bit higher over his shoulder and glanced back at the girl; she was staring at the ground. She seemed to be hanging her head and hiding behind her long chestnut hair.

 

"So hey." Bill cleared his throat. The girl glanced at Bill for a fraction of a second and said her reply so quickly that Bill almost didn't hear it.

 

"Hi."

 

"So... I'm Bill." Bill offered up but the girl continued to trail behind him.

 

"So?" The girl's brow wrinkled and Bill flushed, feeling like a complete idiot.

 

Bill kept to himself the rest of the walk and so did the girl. When Bill finally arrived at the middle school he was not impressed. It was a third of the size of Bill's old school in the city and looked just about as sad and worn down as Bill felt. The girl that had been trailing Bill finally picked up the pace and rushed past Bill to get into the school. Bill was left standing outside by himself save for the few stragglers that also entered the building just as quickly.

 

Bill swallowed thickly and took the plunge to go inside. The school of Faust was a small one with only two or three classrooms lining the hallway. Students hung out by beaten up lockers, heads close together and whispering, as Bill made his way towards his classroom. All eyes were upon him and Bill walked a little faster.

 

The rest of the morning was just as awkward. Bill had been introduced to the class and felt put on the spot when his teacher began to ask a few too many questions. It was quite clear that Bill was the first new student that they'd had in awhile. Things were strange here. The town was so small that there were upper classmen in Bill's class despite Bill only being fourteen. They all shared one teacher and Bill had already more than half of what the class was currently studying.

 

Bill had passed most of the time observing his new classmates. By lunch Bill already had a hang of everyone's name and general traits. The longhaired girl that walked with Bill on the way to school was Carley and she rarely spoke. There were two beefier looking guys that Bill had gathered were the oldest in the group and best friends. Bill still hadn't been able to distinguish Georg from Gustav. There was another upper classmen named Sandra and she seemed to take school very seriously. And there was Tom. Tom was the closest in age to Bill as he was fifteen but that was about all Bill knew about Tom.

 

As lunch hour approached and classes dragged on, Bill could not believe that this was his new life. It seemed so surreal that just the other day Bill could walk down the street for fast food but now here he had drive a few kilometers.

 

Faust had a quaint small village type feel to it... and yet... Bill couldn't seem to get the image of the dead man in the field out of his mind.

* * *

"So where are you from?" Sandra had asked, plopping herself down on Bill's desk. It was lunchtime now but apparently the school had no cafeteria so students ate in their classrooms. Bill was appalled by the idea.

 

"Munich." Bill's eyes shifted uneasily as his fellow classmates gathered around him.

 

"Oh wow! The city! That's so cool!" Sandra looked in awe.

 

"You in a gang or something? That why you moved out here?" Georg asked, shoving closer to get a good look at Bill.

 

"E-excuse me?" Bill blanched.

 

"Why else would you move to a place like Faust? You on the run or something?" Gustav added in leering.

 

"What? No! No! Nothing like that! My dad inherited some land so we moved out here. He works from home so it's no big deal." Bill flushed and looked down at his hands.

 

"He lives on Kaulitz's land." Carley spoke up and everyone seemed just as surprised as Bill that the girl actually spoke. "It's where they found the body over the weekend."

 

"Oh yeah." Sandra's cheerful mood seemed to drop away. "The body."

 

"Dude it's fucking creepy." Georg shuddered and Gustav shook his head.

 

"Every first of the month." Carley added in bitterly and Bill blinked.

 

"The first of every month?" Bill wrapped his arms around his waist and looked to Carley. Carley looked up startled as the entire class stiffened.

 

"It's too hot in here." Sandra laughed nervously, "I'm going to go ask Ms. Hahn if we can go outside for lunch."

 

"I'll go too, Sandra." Gustav quickly got up and followed the girl out the door.

 

"What happens on the first of every month?" Bill spoke up a little louder. Georg turned around and busied himself at his desk. "What happens?"

 

Without another word, Carley slammed her books down on her desk and barged out the door. Georg gave Bill one last hesitant look and left, mumbling something about the bathroom. Bill stared in shock at fast the classroom had cleared out; all that was left was Bill... and Tom. The boy rose from his desk in the corner, his impressive height startling Bill, as he walked over to Bill's desk.

 

The boy stood directly in front of Bill and Bill shivered. There was something strange about Tom, it seemed as if the entire classroom had dropped a few degrees but that wasn't all. Bill's hair was standing on end and he felt his inner subconscious warning him. This person was dangerous.

 

"Hey." Bill stuttered, looking up to his classmate.

 

Tom's face broke into a smile. A cold calculating smile as his eyes danced with mischief. Then Tom leaned down, making Bill jump when Tom's lips grazed his ear. Bill's back was rigid, listening to what Tom whispered ever so softly in his ear.

 

"Welcome back."


	2. And so he lived, can you believe in this?

“How was school, BB Boo?” Simone asked, setting down a steaming plate of spätzle. The three Kaulitzs were gathered around the dinning room table, moving boxes lining the walls, and eating off an odd mix of plates and bowls that Simone had randomly pulled out. Outside the small farmhouse the night sky was dark and star-filled, a perfectly quaint place that one would never suspect a body had been found at just a few days earlier.

 

“It was okay.” Bill shrugged, pushing the noodles around his plate. “It’s a lot smaller than my old one… the entire school, all grades included, is the size of my old grade class.”

 

“My, that is small.” Simone plopped a large helping onto Gordon’s plate and the man beamed at his wife.

 

“Thank you.” Gordon began to dig in and as soon as Simone sat down to eat the table became silent. The sounds of chewing and clinking forks on plates filled the small space of that old creaky farmhouse and Bill stared down at his plate intently.

 

“There was this one boy…” Bill started, not noticing when both Simone and Gordon froze.

 

“Oh?” Gordon asked, slowly setting down his fork.

 

“Yeah, his name’s Tom. Just before lunch… when I was getting ready to join the rest of my classmates…”

 

_Without another word, Carley slammed her books down on her desk and barged out the door. Georg gave Bill one last hesitant look and left, mumbling something about the bathroom. Bill stared in shock at fast the classroom had cleared out; all that was left was Bill... and Tom. The boy rose from his desk in the corner, his impressive height startling Bill, as he walked over to Bill's desk._

_The boy stood directly in front of Bill and Bill shivered. There was something strange about Tom, it seemed as if the entire classroom had dropped a few degrees but that wasn't all. Bill's hair was standing on end and he felt his inner subconscious warning him. This person was dangerous._

_"Hey." Bill stuttered, looking up to his classmate._

_Tom's face broke into a smile. A cold calculating smile as his eyes danced with mischief. Then Tom leaned down, making Bill jump when Tom's lips grazed his ear. Bill's back was rigid, listening to what Tom whispered ever so softly in his ear._

_"Welcome back."_

 

“Well.” Simone cleared her throat, breaking Bill of his thoughts. “You are becoming a young man now and I think that this is something we as a family should be able to talk about.”

 

“What?” Bill squinted, looking to his mother.

 

“There comes a time in a man’s life,” Gordon said, sounding very uncomfortable with the situation, “When a man decides if he likes women or men.”

 

“Oh god.” Bill paled.

 

“And there’s nothing wrong with that!” Simone threw in quickly and Bill groaned, sinking lower in his chair.

 

“Mom! Dad!” Bill whined, hiding his face in his arms, “That wasn’t what I meant!”

 

“It’s okay, dear.” Simone said, taking Bill’s hand from across the table. “If you really like this Tom boy-”

 

“No, Mom! I don’t like Tom! I don’t even like boys!” Bill wailed and his parent’s faces softened.

 

“Oh.” Simone sank back into her chair and released her hold on her son’s hand.

 

“When I was leaving for lunch, Tom came up to me and acted like he knew me before. But we’d lived in Munich all of my life right?” Bill looked to his parents for confirmation.

 

“You were born at Krankenhaus Schwabing. Maybe this boy grew in Munich too and you two knew each other as tots?” Gordon supplied but Bill shook his head.

 

“No, I’d never seen him before in my life.” Bill frowned.

 

“Hmm.” Simone hummed dismissively, “Maybe he confused you for someone else. Gordon, darling, would you pass the green beans?”

 

And just like that, the topic of Tom was dropped. Bill continued the rest of his meal in silence, listening as his parents discussed work and other things. Then Bill had kissed his mother and father goodnight, brushed his teeth, and crawled into the bed. The thin wooden planks of the floorboards allowed Bill to hear his parent’s conversation even after he was locked away in his room. 

 

The farmhouse was old, and in dire need of some updating, but Gordon had been optimistic and claimed after a fresh coat of paint the house would be good as new. Bill decided he rather liked being able to eavesdrop from the safety of his own bedroom and decided to not to tell his parents about the house’s added feature. At first Simone and Gordon watched a footie match and complained about how Bastian Schweinsteiger had managed to miss a goal yet again. Gordon claimed that he was overrated while Simone simply commented about how his tush looked in his shorts. Gordon hadn’t been too happy about that.

 

Bill continued to listen as the time grew later, eyelids beginning to flutter asleep, when his parent’s voices became hushed. Bill’s eyes refused to open but he was all ears in listening to his father quietly speak to his mother.

 

“The police called me at work today.” Gordon said, making sure to keep his voice down. “They want to excavate the outer south field to see if they can find anything in correlation to that man.”

 

“Were they able to identify him?” Simone’s voice was so soft that Bill was barely able to hear her.

 

“Said he was a local that lived a few miles down from here. He worked at the bakery down by the bank and wasn’t reported missing until about a week ago.”

 

“That’s awful.” Simone whispered bitterly.

 

“If the police come by here tomorrow, I want you to keep Bill inside the house. There’s no need for a boy his age to get involved in things of this nature.” 

 

“Of course.”

 

“Good. I’ll probably be in the study most of the day. I have a phone conference at three.”

 

“I make sure the house is quiet. It’s getting late.”

 

“I’m going to go check the doors. You go on ahead.”

 

“Night.”

 

“Goodnight.”

* * *

The next day at lunch, the class was permitted to go outside much to the delight of the students. This gave Bill a good opportunity to observe his classmates and form a proper opinion of them.

 

Bill was by no means a vain or prideful person. He did not view himself as exceptionally handsome or attractive. He did not obsess over his face or hair. However despite Bill’s normal humbleness, Bill could not help but feel a sense of superiority as he gazed around to his fellow classmates. 

 

Faust was traditionally a farming town as it was still very much so now. The town’s population had not fluctuated much over the years, as new families normally did not move to Faust just as old families normally did not move out. It seemed that everyone had known each other since kindergarten and many were distant cousins of some sort. Bill’s classmates were by no means ugly, but all displayed a sort of stockiness that came with farmer stock from the olden days, and almost all of Bill’s classmates were blonde. 

 

Everyone looked sort of generic in Bill’s mind, everyone that is expect Tom Trumper. The boy stood off by himself, eating his lunch beneath a tree, as the rest of the school milled around the courtyard. Tom’s hair, while blonde, was twisted into thick and somewhat unruly dreadlocks. The boy’s clothes were homemade, denim jeans faded from the sun and a baggy yellow t-shirt. 

 

So it was no wonder why Bill, with his flashy city clothes and dark raven hair, was the center of attention from the entire school that day at lunch. Sandra, Gustav, and Georg fluttered around Bill and made sure to point out that he was _their_ friend _first_. Carley was standing off towards the school entrance with a few of her friends, shy heads ducked together as they discussed the ruckus the schoolyard had created.

 

“Is it true that you were in a gang?” One younger student asked Bill and the boy turned to Georg accusingly.

 

“Hey, hey!” The boy held up his hands in defense, “Don’t look at me.”

 

“No, I am not in a gang.” Bill sighed, turning back to the girl that had asked the question. However another girl had quickly replaced the first one and launched fired another at the poor student.

 

“Did you ever get to meet Bushido when you lived in the city?”

 

“The rapper?” Bill wrinkled his nose, “No. And doesn’t he live in Berlin anyways?”

 

“Did students bring guns to school?”

 

“Do you miss living in the city?”

 

“What brand is your shirt?”

 

“Alright! That’s enough people.” Sandra snapped rather sassily. The crowd meekly backed down and the girl grabbed Bill by the arm to lead him away from the crowd.

 

“Jeez people these days!” Sandra laughed, subtly looking to Bill for approval.

 

“They attacked him like a pack of wolves!” Gustav added in as the group made their way over the bench they’d eaten on yesterday. It was diagonal from the tree that Tom was sitting under and gave Bill a perfect view to observe the boy.

 

“Man you’re going to have your pick of the ladies. You gotta help me out with Charlotte though.” Georg slugged Bill on the shoulder and the dark haired teen frowned, rubbing the place he’d been hit.

 

“Sorry.” Georg smiled sheepishly.

 

“Bill? What are you looking at?” Sandra asked, setting her lunch down and following Bill’s line of vision. When she spotted Tom, her shoulders tensed. “Oh.”

 

“Trumper is bad news.” Sandra lowered her voice to not be heard, “You want to stay away from him.”

 

“Why?” Bill naturally asked.

 

“He’s just… off. He doesn’t eat lunch with us and he’s always off by himself. I heard this rumor that he lives by himself just outside of town and has this collection of weird stuff, like weird voodoo stuff. He’s bad news.”

 

“And you believe these rumors?” Bill said humorlessly.

 

“Of course!” Sandra gasped, “I’m serious, Bill. Tom’s really strange don’t talk to him.”

 

“I don’t know. He doesn’t look that…” Bill turned to glance at where Tom was sitting and froze as Tom was looking directly back at them. Bill and Tom’s eyes locked for the briefest moment before Bill was turning away hurriedly.

 

“I told you!” Sandra hissed as Gustav and Georg nodded along eagerly.

 

“I heard a rumor that he lives by himself because he killed his parents!” Georg said in a forced whisper, eyes wide.

 

“And that he was the one that killed that guy from the bakery!” Gustav added in, cupping his hand to his mouth so that no one could read his lips.

 

Bill frowned at the last statement and stood up, snatching his lunch box off the bench. His three classmates turned and looked to Bill in surprise, confusion and curiosity running across their faces.

 

“That’s awful. You shouldn’t talk about people like that if you don’t even know them. If you’re going to be like that then I’m not going to sit with you.” Bill looked in distaste upon his three ‘friends’. 

 

“W-what? Bill! Bill!” Sandra called as Bill turned to leave. “Where are you going?”

 

The dark haired boy’s path of travel was quite obvious as he made his way towards the tree that Tom was sitting under. The dreadlocked boy looked up I surprise as Bill’s arrival just as Georg called pleadingly out to Bill, “Don’t do it man!”

 

Bill ignored his classmates and how all eyes were on the two boys under the tree, one sitting with a look of amusement on his face while the other stood awkwardly before him. Bill took a deep breath and mustered up the biggest smile he could manage.

 

“Hi.” Bill twittered and Tom stared blankly at him. “Mind if I sit down?”

 

Tom glanced curiously over at Sandra, Gustav, and Georg before looking back up to Bill in amusement. The dreadlocked boy’s mouth pulled into a sly smile and Bill shifted his weight from foot to foot.

 

“Sure your friends won’t mind?” Tom teased.

 

“They’re not my friends.” Bill answered and Tom scooted over a little bit, patting the grass besides him. Bill sat down and tried to ignore how silent the school courtyard had become. 

 

“So.” Tom said.

 

“So I’m new.” Bill said, tucking some hair behind his ear. “Obviously.”

 

“The talk of the town. We haven’t had a new student in quite some time, not since I was the new student.”

 

“You moved here to?” Bill was surprised, “I would have thought that you’d lived here your whole life.”

 

“Nah, I moved here when I was younger so I’ve had some more time to adjust.” Tom shrugged. “You moved here from Munich.” It was not a question but a statement.

 

“Yeah. Faust is a lot different than the city. I’m so used to taxi cabs and Quick Marts.”

 

“But you like it here?” Bill bit into his sandwich and chewed thoughtfully.

 

“It’s okay I guess.” Bill sighed, “Nothing really to do around here.”

 

“There’s a lake with a rope swing down by my house.” Tom shrugged.

 

“Really?” Bill’s interest was sparked.

 

“We could walk there together after school if you want. It’s like five minute from your house.”

 

“That’d be cool. Thanks Tom.” Bill grinned, not at all being able to figure out why the other students feared him so. Then Tom was leaning over, closer than Bill was used to, and whispered grinningly in Bill’s ear.

 

“Play along.” Tom’s lips ghosted against the shell of Bill’s ear.

 

“W-what?” Bill said startled, trying to distance himself but Tom quickly followed.

 

“Play along.” Tom repeated, eyes flashing and Bill found himself saying okay.

 

“If we duck our heads together like this, they’ll think that we’re plotting something.” Bill found himself grinning at Tom’s devious little plan. “Now you do something.”

 

“Yes.” Bill then turned to whisper in Tom’s ear, “And if we both look at Sandra on three, she’ll think that we’re plotting against her.”

 

“One.” Tom’s face broke into a grin and Bill’s heart fluttered at the shining pearly whites.

 

“Two.” Bill returned, quietly.

 

“Three.” Tom finished and the pair suddenly adjusted themselves to look at Sandra.

 

Sandra’s eyes widened from where she’d been glaring at Bill’s back and looked nervously around her. Bill and Tom continued their staring for a few moments before the girl looked close to having a panic attack and the two finally looked away, smiles on both of their faces.

 

“Did you see her face?” Bill cracked up and Tom grinned, watching as Bill laughed.

 

The school bell rang overhead and the students began to shuffle back inside. Sandra was especially quick to snatch up her lunch and run for the school. Georg and Gustav were whispering amongst themselves as they too returned inside and Carley followed silently behind, eyes glued to Bill in what appeared to… concern.

 

“So we’ll meet out here right after classes are over?” Tom grinned and Bill nodded.

 

“I have to talk with the teacher before we go though. She wants to know what classes I was taking back in Munich.”

 

“It shouldn’t be that much of a problem. If our grade is going too slow for you, you can just join Georg and Sandra’s lessons.”

 

“It’s not really that the lessons are too easy… they’re just different from what I was learning in Munich is all.”

 

“Kaulitz! Trumper!” The teacher’s voice called and the pair jumped. “Class is starting.”

 

“Better get going.” Tom mumbled, grabbing his lunch box and heading back towards the school. “So right after school?”

 

“As soon as I can.” Bill nodded.

* * *

The rest of the day had dragged on slowly; slower than the first and all Bill wanted was for school to end. Their teacher, the kindhearted Mrs. Hahn was trying her best to teach the different students but when fourteen year olds were learning in the same room with seventeen year olds, things became a bit difficult. Poor Mrs. Hahn kept rushing back and forth between tables, a jumble of various level books and colored pencils, as she tried to teach three grades at once.

 

The bell had finally rung, signaling the end of the school day, and saving Mrs. Hahn from her chaotic teaching attempts. Bill had tried to keep his meeting as brief as he could with the teacher at the end of the day and when they finally finished, Tom was waiting in the courtyard as promised.

 

“Hey.” Tom tipped his head in acknowledgement just as the school doors burst open. Sandra, Gustav, Georg, and Carley walked out as their laughter quickly stopped upon seeing Bill standing besides Tom.

 

There was an awkward pause before Sandra, the boldest of the group, was stepping forward. Bill backed away, afraid that she meant harm, while Tom visibly tensed.

 

“Bye Bill. We’ll see you in class tomorrow.” Sandra smiled sweetly. Her gaze then turned to Tom and the smile quickly fell from her face. The older girl stared down Tom for a few seconds before turning and leaving, sparing no wishes of farewell to the dreadlocked boy. Sandra resumed herself amongst the group as she set off in one direction with Georg and Gustav in tow. 

 

Carley however remained in the courtyard.

 

“Let’s go.” Tom said, eyes darting to the wilting form of the girl.

 

“O-oh okay.” Bill hurried to keep with Tom’s long strides as the two set off down the dirt path back towards the Kaulitz farmhouse. “That was really shitty of them not to say goodbye to you.”

 

“I don’t give a rat’s ass about Sandra.” Tom responded angrily. “I’ve done absolutely nothing to her and she treats me like a leper.”

 

Bill was silent for a good portion of the walk, listening intently as Tom ranted some more about how no one in Faust seemed to accept him. Bill couldn’t understand it. There was nothing wrong with Tom, his face clear of scene, his features not deformed nor marred, he even smelled pretty nice in Bill’s mind. The pair was halfway down the trail when they heard footsteps behind them. Tom didn’t seem to care but Bill turned around curiously to see Carley trailing after them.

 

The girl had ducked her head and was walking in a similar manner to when Bill had first met her. The girl was so silent it troubled Bill slightly.

 

“She lives down this away as well. Most of everyone lives on the other end of Faust near Sandra’s house.” Tom answered Bill’s unasked question. “This is the only road back to this end of town, she has no choice but to walk this way.”

 

“Do you and Carley ever talk? I mean there can’t be that many kids around our age that live in this end of town.” 

 

“No.” Tom’s voice was soft. “Never. Carley doesn’t talk to anyone if she can help it.”

 

“Strange.” Bill hummed, kicking a rock out of his way. The scenery was nice, lush trees lining the dirt road with straggly patches of grass here or there. It was all a rather quiet scene, which made it even stranger when a truck came hurling out of nowhere.

 

Bill barely even had time to respond, squinting at first as the loud vehicle made its way over the crest of the hill. By the time Bill’s mind had caught up to that fact that it was a truck, driving rather erratically in a zigzag pattern across the road, Carley’s voice was already screaming shrilly. 

 

Time seemed to slow down as Bill’s mind registered Tom’s form jumping to the side of the road, Carley’s screams in the background, the headlights of the truck blindly Bill’s eyes as it drew closer, and then finally the bone-crushing impact from the front of the truck as it slammed into Bill’s frame. Amazingly the initial impact did not kill the boy but rather broke two of his ribs and his left arm. 

 

However, it was the reckless driving of the truck when the vehicle continued onwards that killed poor Bill. The boy’s head was crushed beneath one of the tires as the weight of the object squished Bill’s inners outside of his him. A bloody pulp was all that remained of Bill Kaulitz’s head and Carley’s screams only continued in volume as she finally saw what was left of her classmate. Tom stood shocked, sprawled on the ground from where he’d jumped out of the way. 

 

The month of August was not even close to ending at this point in time. The days were still hot with the summer sun just as the nights were only starting to grow cold.

 

It took an hour for an ambulance to make its way out to Faust from the next town over but even they knew while driving there that there was no hope for one of the victims. Mr. and Mrs. Kaulitz were called as Simone burst into tears over the phone and then Gordon at the site of the accident. 

 

In the air, the cries of many filled the void that had been made in the world. The piercing shrieks would only build as more found out of the boy’s death. It truly was a sad sight, when they cry.

* * *

“BB Boo! You have to get up or you’ll be late for the first day of school!” Simone’s voice drifted up through the thin floorboards of the Kaulitz farmhouse and Bill’s eyes shot open.

 

The boy’s mind took a minute to catch up with him as he felt like he’d been awakened from a long sleep. Groggy eyes searched the familiar surroundings of his new room in Faust and Bill rubbed his head, mind working overtime to try and fully wake up.

 

The fourteen year old got dressed in a hurry and ran downstairs, stomach grumbling for food as he felt like he was missing something. Everything seemed in place for the day but still there was that nagging feeling at the back of Bill’s mind. 

 

Simone was making pancakes in the kitchen and watched her son curiously as he sat down at the table to be fed. Bill’s dark locks were tangled and unruly and his jeans did not match the color of his shirt. Bill normally took pride in putting himself together and Simone set the plate down in front the boy, concern etched across her face.

 

“Bill? Sweetie, are you feeling alright?”

 

“Yeah.” Bill stuffed a forkful of pancake into his mouth, “Why?”

 

“You look like you were hit by a bus.” Simone’s words had Bill’s mind reeling.

 

That nagging feeling in the back of Bill’s mind came front and center as fogged memories of walking home with Tom came to mind. Bill had been hit by that truck. Bill had died. The boy’s stomach turned as he turned to his mother in shock and Simone stared startled back at him.

 

“BB Boo?”

 

“M-Mom.” Bill swallowed, fork clacking down on the plate. “W-what?”

 

“Bill you don’t look so good. Are you running a fever?” Simone placed her hand to Bill’s forehead and the boy shoved her hand away.

 

“Am I dead?” Bill blurted out and Simone blinked in surprise.

 

“I’m sorry? Is this some new phrase you kids have? What do you mean are you dead?” 

 

“I got hit by a truck yesterday… today… a few days from now.” Bill stumbled over his words. An unpleasant feeling settled in the pit of Bill’s stomach just as Gordon entered the room.

 

“Morning kiddo.” Gordon ruffled Bill’s hair, oblivious to his son’s distress. “Good luck at school today, you want to make a good first impression.”

 

“Dad!” Bill cried, eyes wide with panic. Gordon jumped at his son’s appearance and looked to Simone in question. 

 

“You okay?”

 

“That doesn’t matter. Dad, what day is it?” Bill demanded, stomach churning.

 

“It’s Monday, the first day of school.” Gordon answered unsure. Hadn’t he just told Bill that a few seconds ago?

 

“No! I mean what’s the date? Tell me what the date is!” Bill shouted and Simone frowned.

 

“Now Bill, that’s no way to speak to your father-”

 

“Please!” Bill’s eyes darted frantically around the kitchen for some indication of the date. “What’s the date? Please Dad!”

 

“It’s August 2nd.” Gordon said, brows creased in confusion and worry. “Am I missing something here?”

 

“Oh my god.” Bill sank back down in his chair. Bill could still feel the dull ache in his arm from where it had been broken, where it would be broken in only a matter of days. How could it only be Bill’s second day in Faust? How could Bill not have meet Tom or Sandra or Carley yet? How had Bill somehow gone back in time?

 

“I have to go to school.” Bill stood up quickly and grabbed his backpack. He raced towards the door; sure that school would hold the answers, as Simone and Gordon called after him in concern.

 

Bill had to find Tom or Carley. He was sure one of them would know what was going on.


	3. And so time reset itself, can you believe in this?

By the time Bill reached the school, his legs were burning from the fast pace he’d up kept the entire length there. Carley had been nowhere in sight.

 

A feeling of uneasiness and confusion was steadily bubbling inside of Bill. The date on the calendar and the one that blinked on Bill’s phone was undeniable. The date was in fact August 2nd and it seemed Bill had somehow gone back in time. The air of Faust was just a crisp and clean as Bill had remembered it being only a few days… err… as Bill thought it was that day. The dark haired boy could only shake his head as he scurried down the hallway to his classroom. The halls of the school appeared unchanged with nothing out of place, even down to the wad of gum that Bill had almost stepped in, and Bill could hear his classmates’ voices growing louder.

 

“Settle down students.” Mrs. Hahn’s implored the students with little success as the sounds of chatter and squeaking sneakers could still be heard. “Students please! It is time for class to start.”

 

“Blah, blah, blah.” A female’s voice taunted and the class erupted in laughter, “Settle down students. It’s time for class to start.”

 

“Carley!” Mrs. Hahn’s voice shouted sternly but it only caused the class to laugh even more.

 

Bill’s heart leapt at the sound of Carley’s name before he was throwing open the door to the classroom and barging inside. The students’ laughter stopped immediately as all eyes were turned on Bill and the boy froze, blush creeping up his neck, back stiff. The entire class was staring at Bill in confusion and Bill turned to Mrs. Hahn in a weak gesture for help.

 

“O-oh.” Mrs. Hahn’s face was slightly red from her earlier frustration but she quickly settled herself down. “I’d almost forgotten. Bill, correct?”

 

“Y-yeah.” Bill replied shakily as Mrs. Hahn took his hand and led him to the front of the classroom. In the back corner Carley sank back into her seat, surrounded by Georg and Gustav nonetheless. There was a smirk across the girl’s face, a cocky expression that Bill could have never imagine such a shy girl making, as Carley radiated pure confidence. 

 

“Students.” Mrs. Hahn smoothed out her hair, one hand still holding tight to Bill’s hand. “We I have some exciting news. This is Bill, our new transfer student, he’ll be joining our class.”

 

“Oh great.” Carley called out sarcastically and the entire class giggled, “Another dumbass to slow the class down.”

 

“Carley!” Mrs. Hahn’s face colored, “You will not talk about another like that and such language is not allowed in the classroom!”

 

“Oh yeah?” Carley challenged, eyes flashing as she tossed a long lock of chestnut hair over her shoulder. “And what are you going to do about it, teach? Call my father?”

 

Mrs. Hahn’s face burned bright red and she quickly looked down to her feet, defeat and submission written across her face. Bill could only gap as Carley harked out a snarky laugh and the class soon followed suit. 

 

“Mrs. Hahn.” Bill whispered; side glancing at his teacher but the woman shook her head.

 

“Bill, why don’t you introduce yourself to the class?” The merriment was gone from the woman’s voice as she sat down at her desk and stared blankly down at some papers.

 

“Um… hi my name is Bill.” Bill began, starring uneasily around at his classmates. They appeared to be the same. There was that kid who was a few years younger than Bill with the mole on his forehead, the younger girl with the sloppy pigtails, and the rest of the faces that Bill was familiar with. Gustav’s blonde hair was still close-cropped, Georg still wore that mischievous smirk on his face, and Carley’s hair was still long but no longer obscured her face.

 

Yes, it seemed that the roles of tormentor had switched as Carley now had the gang behind her. Bill’s eyes found Sandra sitting in Carley’s old seat, head ducked down in submission and fear, as all her strength seemed to have left her. Bill’s mouth went dry as he looked desperately around for Tom in the crowd but he was unable to spot him.

 

“Tell us something we don’t know.” Carley muttered and the class erupted in laughter once again. Bill’s face burned in anger and embarrassment as Carley’s smirk only widened.

 

“My name is Bill.” Bill shot a dirty look at the girl, “I am fourteen years old, I like to kickboard, and I just moved here from Munich.”

 

“Woah! You moved here from the city?” Gustav looked in awe at Bill and soon the rest of the class was murmuring.

 

“Why did you move here then?”

 

“Were you in a gang?”

 

“Did you have to carry a gun at your old school?”

 

“Students!” Mrs. Hahn struggled to regain some control of the class but the questions only continued to build. 

 

A frown tugged at Bill’s mouth as he was bombarded with questions yet again, each being even more outrageous than the last. Mrs. Hahn had given up on the morning lessons to return to sit down at her desk as the students crowded around Bill. They pestered him with questions, occasionally prodding at him or pulling on his arm like children would fight over a new toy. Carley continued to stare Bill down from across the room as Georg and Gustav sat besides, faces communicating that they wished to join in talking with Bill as well but being held back by Carley’s command. Sandra remained seated by herself, head bowed, as it began to rain outside. 

 

The students soon lost their interest in Bill when the dark haired boy did not admit to having done anything particularly interesting while living in the city and returned to their seats. The only empty seat was besides Sandra and Bill hesitantly took it as Mrs. Hahn announced that due to the rain, lunch and free period would be indoors. 

 

Most of the students dispersed in the school, taking with friends to hidden nooks of the school that only a local would know. Bill remained in his seat besides Sandra, as Carley and her newfound gang did not leave the classroom either.

 

Sandra, Gustav, and Georg were whispering amongst themselves. Occasionally glancing at Bill every now and then, but Bill ignored them. He could feel their gaze burning into his back but unless directly addressed, Bill could not give them pleasure of letting them know they got to him.

 

“Just ignore them.” Sandra whispered softly and Bill tore his gaze away from his lunch to look at the girl. The girl’s blonde hair was gathered messily atop her head in bun rather than the long sculpted locks that Bill had first met her with. Sandra appeared smaller as well; face narrowed with dark circles under her eyes, as her shoulders hunched forwards. 

 

“I’ll try to.” Bill whispered back, nibbling nervously at his sandwich.

 

“I’m Sandra by the way.”

 

“I know.” Bill responded without thinking and the girl’s face scrunched up.

 

“Really?” Sandra was studying Bill oddly and the boy shook his head.

 

“No, I was just kidding. Nice to meet you Sandra, I’m Bill.” The boy smiled in greeting and Sandra shyly returned it. A silence fell over the two as a million thoughts raced through Bill’s mind, he contemplated how exactly to go about approaching this.

 

“Sandra?” Bill asked softly and the girl looked to him in question. “Have we… have we ever met before?”

 

“I don’t think so. How could we have? You just moved here from the city.”

 

“O-oh. Never mind.” Bill bit into his sandwich again and mulled over the situation. 

 

“Tomorrow you’ll have to find another seat.” Sandra whispered, eyes wide as she stared down at the desk. “That’s Tom’s seat you’re in.”

 

“T-Tom?” Bill stuttered. “Tom? You mean Tom Trumper, right? That Tom?”

 

“Yeah.” Sandra’s brow crinkled. A sudden thought popped into Sandra’s head and turned to Bill in fear, eyes wide as she scooted back. “You aren’t friend with Tom are you?”

 

“Well…” Bill was unsure how to answer. Pure fear was written across Sandra’s face in that moment. What in the hell was going on?

 

“Sandra are you absolutely sure that we’ve never met before? You don’t remember me at all?” Bill pressed but the girl continued to gape at him like a fish.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“You’re absolutely sure that you don’t know me? That there’s not even the slightest inkling that you somehow know me?” Bill pressed but Sandra was shaking her head furiously.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Don’t sit next to me, please.”

 

“Sandra don’t you remember anything?” Bill pleaded, “Don’t you remember that you were friends with Georg and Gustav?”

 

“I’ve never been friends with Georg or Gustav. I don’t understand why you’re asking me this.”

 

“You don’t remember that I got up and left you at lunch? That I went to go sit with Tom and you got mad at me?”

 

“W-what?”

 

“Sandra, please!” Bill’s voice broke, eyes wide in delirious panic and fear. “You have to remember!”

 

“I already told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sandra shook her head and Bill’s hand shot out across the table to grab her arm. Sandra gasped and uselessly tried to pull herself free from Bill’s grip. The boy’s eyes were bloodshot, unshed tears swimming in them, as his fingers tightened uncomfortably around her wrist.

 

“Bill let go of me.”

 

“Please Sandra! You have to remember!”

 

“I don’t understand, Bill. What are you talking about?” Sandra’s lip trembled. “I don’t think I can sit next to you anymore.”

 

“Wait, what?” Bill asked as Sandra quickly stood up and gathered her things. “Sandra? Sandra!”

 

“Don’t talk to me.” Sandra whispered before quickly scurrying out the door. Carley’s laughter followed her down the hallway as the cruel brunette called after her.

 

“That’s right you little crybaby! Run! Go hide in the hole that you crawled out of! That’s it! Go!” Carley’s laughed sharply and the sounds of a door slamming was heard. Through the window Bill could see Sandra running across the courtyard through the rain.

 

“W-what? Mrs. Hahn! Mrs. Hahn?” Bill whirled around to go find the teacher but Carley’s words stopped him short.

 

“She won’t care. This is a daily thing with Sandra, always running away from things that she doesn’t understand or fears. _It’s pathetic_.” Carley stood up and began to stroll towards Bill. 

 

“It shows weakness.” Carley grinned sinisterly, “And weakness was meant to be erased from this world.”

 

Bill’s back stiffened as the thought that Carley was somehow behind this strange turn of events entered Bill’s mind. Georg and Gustav were staring at Bill in worry, worry that their leader would do something rash, and Bill had not remembered the two boys being so weak before.

 

“H-have we met before?” Bill asked; eyes locked on Carley to gauge her reaction. The girl arced an eyebrow in surprise and then in amusement.

 

“Are you really that stupid? You just moved here didn’t you? And now you’re asking me if we’ve ever met before? Ha!” Carley laughed, returning to sit among the silent Gustav and worried Georg. “You city folk are even more dumb than I’d originally thought. What do you think Einstein?”

 

“Never mind.” Bill frowned, turning to go find somewhere else besides the classroom to eat lunch in.

 

“That’s it. You run away too, city boy!”

 

Bill gritted his teeth as he snatched up his lunch off his desk and stormed out of the room, Carley’s voice continuing to taunt him as he left.

 

“You run away too!”

* * *

Bill lay in bed covers pulled up under his chin with his eyes wide open. Upon returning home from school, Bill had locked himself in his room until supper, continuously repeating the events of the day in his head. 

 

There was no way Bill had imagined it, made up some fake events of what life in Faust would be like. Bill had been there. Bill had really already experienced his first day of school before this one. Bill had really found that body in the field, Bill really had eaten lunch with Tom, and Bill really had gotten hit by that truck. There was no way Bill could have dreamed of exactly what his classmates would look like in real life. There was no way.

 

The dark haired boy rolled over in bed and buried further under the covers. But on one had remembered Bill. Not Sandra or Georg, not Gustav or Carley, not even Mrs. Hahn or the rest of the students. Not a single person had remembered Bill. How could that be? 

 

“Did I really go back in time?” Bill whispered, as a shiver ran down his spine. Bill could hear his parents shuffling around downstairs. “Or was it all just a dream?”

 

“I don’t think it wise if Bill walks to school by himself every morning.” Simone’s voice carried up through the thin floorboards of the house.

 

“Nonsense Simone.” Gordon returned and the house groaned as Gordon walked across the creaking floorboards. “I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation. The police said it was suicide.”

 

“Bullshit! I spoke with the neighbors down the street and they said that Lydia was never that kind of woman. What mother would do that to her own family? To her own children? To just leave them all alone like that! There’s no husband in that family to take care of the children.”

 

“The police said-” Gordon started again but Simone’s forced whisper cut him off. Bill wiggled beneath his sheets and strained to her the next part as his mother’s voice grew quiet.

 

“Yes and are we really supposed to believe that in committing her own suicide, that Lydia would have clawed out her own throat with her fingernails? Are we? Something’s not right here Gordon, I can feel it. There’s something wrong with this town.” Simone sounded scared and the house creaked as Gordon walked across the room to hug his wife.

 

“There’s nothing wrong with Faust. My ancestors used to live here, it’s a perfectly peaceful village. We don’t know what kind of home life Lydia could have had. If what you say is true about her husband, she was probably under a tremendous amount of stress in taking care of the kids and the house. It just probably all got to her.” Gordon’s words were meant to counter Simone’s worries but they did little to help.

 

“I’m telling you Gordon, something’s not right about this town. The people, the people in this village, I feel like they all know something I don’t.” Simone paused for a moment before bitterly whispering, “To claw out her own throat?”

 

“The police suspect that there must have been some narcotics involved to drive a person to do that.” 

 

“I still don’t know…”

 

“It’s getting late Simone.” Gordon sighed, “We don’t want to wake Bill with all this talk. He’ll be fine walking to school tomorrow morning by himself, he’s a big boy now.”

 

Bill waited until his parents retreated into their bedroom downstairs before the boy was sitting up in his bed and turning on the light in his room. Fear gripped the boy and Bill quickly pulled out his journal and began to write.

 

_August 2nd, 2011_

_I started my first day of school for the second time today. I don’t know what exactly is happening or how this is possible, but I think it has to do something with Tom Trumper._

_I don’t know how Tom is involved in any of this but I just have a feeling that he is. So far in this-_

 

Bill paused and wondered over how to accurately describe his experience. It wasn’t so much that Bill had gone back in time as everyone’s personality had changed… it was almost like… it was almost like…

 

_So far in this world, Carley has taken Sandra’s place in being the bully. Mrs. Hahn is silent and weak just as Georg and Gustav are. No one seems to remember have meeting me before. I don’t know what to do._

 

Bill shut his journal and switched off the light before climbing back into bed. He’d find Tom tomorrow. He’d find Tom and get to the bottom of this.

* * *

“What? Another one?” A voice gasped in shock as Bill drew further down the hallway towards his classroom.

 

“The police covered it up and said it was a suicide this time.” Another voice added in.

 

“That’s so stupid, we all know it wasn’t a suicide.” A third snorted.

 

“I think it’s for the Kaulitzs’ sake. They don’t want to scare them off too early.” The first person spoke again.

 

“What in the-” Bill began to whisper to himself before someone knocked into his shoulder. Bill whirled around to see had pushed past him and was met with the one person that Bill had been so desperately seeking.

 

“Tom.” Bill whispered, eyes wide.

 

The dreadlocked boy turned to Bill in eerie silence, no trace of confusion across his face, as the boy’s eyes regarded Bill in recognition. Tom then smirked and placed a hand on Bill’s shoulder as if to steady him.

 

“Sorry didn’t mean to bump into you like that. You’re the new kid right?” Tom asked, eyes flickering in mockery and the hairs on Bill’s arm suddenly stood on end. Danger, this person was dangerous, it what Bill’s instincts told him.

 

“Tom.” Bill repeated again as the boy pushed open the classroom door and the class fell silent. Tom didn’t even spare Bill a second look as he crossed the room, all of the other students watching Tom in what appeared to be fear, as he sat down in the desk next to Sandra. The girl kept her head ducked and looked as if she was trying to burst out crying.

 

“Bill, class is going to begin shortly.” Mrs. Hahn called, walking up the hallway behind Bill. “Please take your seat and I’ll be with you all shortly.”

 

Bill hurried inside the classroom and surveyed the room. Now that Tom had taken the desk next to Sandra there was only one open seat, a banged up desk directly in front of Carley. It seemed that all of the other students had avoided sitting around the girl as much as they could and unfortunately for Bill it was the only seat left.

 

Bill cautiously made his way over and sat delicately down in the seat, gasping softly when he felt a foot kick at his heel from behind. Bill could hear Carley snickering but he continued to face forward as Mrs. Hahn entered the classroom.

 

“I’m sorry I’m late class.” Mrs. Hahn sorted through a mess of papers on her desk, “Some things came up this morning and the principal has asked that free period be indoors for the rest of the week.”

 

The entire class groaned in dismay but Mrs. Hahn explained that it was mandatory as a bear had been spotted in the woods near the school. Bill knew that there was no bear. 

 

By the time lunch was starting to roll around, Mrs. Hahn asked that the class get into groups of two to review the math homework for that week. The homework had only taken Bill five minutes to do as he’d already learned the material back at his school in Munich. The pace of academics in Faust was frustratingly slow but Bill supposed that was what happened when different grades were mixed together in the same class.

 

Tom had been grouped with Bill since the two were the closest in age and were currently studying the same subject. And despite Sandra and Georg’s age difference, the two elder students were also learning the same material and were paired up together. Gustav and Carley had been partnered but they were a year behind Bill when it came to math.

 

“So we’re working on linear functions now right?” Bill said, setting down his work next to Tom. The dread head smiled in amusement as Bill sat down and the dark haired boy blushed. 

 

“Welcome back, Bill.” Tom grinned and Bill’s false pretense of ignorance to the situation quickly fell away. He regarded Tom carefully, back stiff, eyes peeking cautiously down at Tom out of the corner of his vision.

 

“And what do you mean by that?” Bill whispered, sitting down next to the other. Tom’s grin only widened as he refused to answer Bill’s question.

 

“Have we met before?” Bill glanced around at his classmates to make sure that no one was listening to the pair.

 

“What are you talking about, Bill? You just moved here. How would I know you?” Tom’s words were meant to be innocent but his eyes said something else entirely.

 

The room suddenly dropped a few degrees colder for Bill as he continued to stare at Tom in shock. Tom knew something. Tom had something to do with this whole thing and he was teasing Bill with it, dangling it front of Bill’s face. Fear began to build within Bill as truly realized that Tom’s eyes were not that of a fifteen year old’s. Tom’s eyes were cold and mocking, normally hazel irises turned black in knowing and challenge. Tom was teasing Bill, daring him to say something to try and end this little charade.

 

Those eyes were not the eyes of a fifteen year old’s. Tom had seen things.

 

“N-no. How could you have?” Bill dropped his head, eyes round as he stared down at his lap. The dark haired boy’s heart was beating rapidly now, adrenaline pumping as his muscles tensed. 

 

“So linear functions, huh?” Tom smiled, moving closer to point at something on Bill’s paper. Tom’s eyes never left Bill’s face. “Should we compare what we both got for the slopes?”

 

“Yes.” Bill swallowed and Tom laughed softly. 

 

From the corner of the room Sandra watched the pair, brow creased in worry and fear at the happenings in front of her.


End file.
